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COLT, Samuel (1814-1862).
American inventor, founder of the firearms company that bears his name.
Autograph letter signed ("Saml Colt"), to "D. Selden Esq", Washington, February 26, 1839. 2 pages recto and verso, quarto, minor paper loss at one fold and evidence of fairly minor archival restoration, sealed in acetate, and enclosed in a custom 1/4 morocco case with portrait.
Colt dashes of a letter to a client who is apparently displeased with delivery delays, and has written Colt an angry letter. The inventor of the revolver replies: "I have received your letter ... and hasten to assure you that its content created with me as much surprise & regret as my last seems to have with you." He goes on to say he had obligations to fulfill "... I therefore am prevented shipping you the Carbine by the next transportation train & it is my determination to return to New York as soon as possible after I quit through the exhibitions of my arms." Colt proposes to carry the weapons "with my baggage in the passenger cars to New York which will enable you to receive them as soon or sooner than if I were to ship them this day in the ordinary manner." He adds he will be in New York the following week "when I shall make satisfactory settlement of all my business with yourself & the company." Colt adds a postscript by way of justification and perhaps just a little indignation, "The engagements refurd [sic] to are one today with some officers, one day after tommorow with the Secretary of War, & on Sunday with some members of Congress."
Colt was sent away to sea in 1830. With time on his hands, he made a wooden model of an automatically revolving breech pistol. Back on land he made one out of metal. He received his patent in 1836 and began to mass produce them in a state of the art factory in Paterson. N.J. While extremely popular with individuals, in particular in the American West, the Colts failed to catch on with the army, and the company actually went under in 1842. The Mexican war, however, revived Colt's fortunes, and in 1846 he received an order from the army for 1,000 of the advanced weapons. He remained Chairman of Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company until his death in 1862.
Provenance: The Ronald J. Atlas collection
American inventor, founder of the firearms company that bears his name.
Autograph letter signed ("Saml Colt"), to "D. Selden Esq", Washington, February 26, 1839. 2 pages recto and verso, quarto, minor paper loss at one fold and evidence of fairly minor archival restoration, sealed in acetate, and enclosed in a custom 1/4 morocco case with portrait.
Colt dashes of a letter to a client who is apparently displeased with delivery delays, and has written Colt an angry letter. The inventor of the revolver replies: "I have received your letter ... and hasten to assure you that its content created with me as much surprise & regret as my last seems to have with you." He goes on to say he had obligations to fulfill "... I therefore am prevented shipping you the Carbine by the next transportation train & it is my determination to return to New York as soon as possible after I quit through the exhibitions of my arms." Colt proposes to carry the weapons "with my baggage in the passenger cars to New York which will enable you to receive them as soon or sooner than if I were to ship them this day in the ordinary manner." He adds he will be in New York the following week "when I shall make satisfactory settlement of all my business with yourself & the company." Colt adds a postscript by way of justification and perhaps just a little indignation, "The engagements refurd [sic] to are one today with some officers, one day after tommorow with the Secretary of War, & on Sunday with some members of Congress."
Colt was sent away to sea in 1830. With time on his hands, he made a wooden model of an automatically revolving breech pistol. Back on land he made one out of metal. He received his patent in 1836 and began to mass produce them in a state of the art factory in Paterson. N.J. While extremely popular with individuals, in particular in the American West, the Colts failed to catch on with the army, and the company actually went under in 1842. The Mexican war, however, revived Colt's fortunes, and in 1846 he received an order from the army for 1,000 of the advanced weapons. He remained Chairman of Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company until his death in 1862.
Provenance: The Ronald J. Atlas collection